Wildstorm Recommendations

[hammard]

I recently picked up the first few issues of Chuck Dixon's Grifter\Midnighter miniseries and I was completely blown away by the characters and how well the universe fits together. Previously I've never read any other stories from this universe (except Gail Simone's Gen 13 & the Image comics first issue of Stormwatch).

So I was wondering if any people had any good other recommendations for stories from the Wildstorm Universe?

[Fricky]

Planetary by Warren Ellis and John Cassaday. It's about a team of superpowered "archaeologists" who are digging up the hidden truths of the 20th Century, which sees them uncovering all these histories about characters who are obvious facsimilies of established comic book characters or other fictional people and genres. I don't want to spoil it too much, but they're up against a parody of the Fantastic Four, who in the Wildstorm Universe aren't altruistic about their research and discoveries, but instead keep them for themselves for their own benefit and power. It fits into the Wildstorm Universe but doesn't reference it a whole lot, so it stands on its own pretty well.

There's 4 volumes for the main series, and a seperate collection for a couple of standalone one shots.

[Happy-Hangman]

Warren Ellis's run on 'Stormwatch', leading into the massacre of most of that team's original characters in 'WildCATS/Aliens' and his launch of 'The Authority' (imagine the JLA, but violent, political, sexy and written for a Vertigo audience). The Hitch. Mark Millar and Grant Morisson runs on 'The Authority' are superb.

The Wildstorm properties absorbed into The New 52 are....less than stellar. 'Stormwatch' (now a covert Authority, but without the balls or vibrancy of the original series) is sloppy, and 'Grifter' started well, but was given to Rob Liefield...and is doomed. 'Voodoo' is okay, but bears little real resemblance to the original character, and looks like getting the chop before it can really find its feet.

[hammard]

Originally Posted by Happy-Hangman

The Wildstorm properties absorbed into The New 52 are....less than stellar. 'Stormwatch' (now a covert Authority, but without the balls or vibrancy of the original series) is sloppy, and 'Grifter' started well, but was given to Rob Liefield...and is doomed. 'Voodoo' is okay, but bears little real resemblance to the original character, and looks like getting the chop before it can really find its feet.

Yeah that's what I thought about the New 52 ones as well, a real shame. This is why I was so amazed by Grifter\Midnighter. In the New 52 Grifter just seemed like a vigilante who likes shooting people and Midnighter came across as a random guy in black who hung with the Martian Manhunter.

[count_libido]

Originally Posted by Happy-Hangman

Warren Ellis's run on 'Stormwatch', leading into the massacre of most of that team's original characters in 'WildCATS/Aliens' and his launch of 'The Authority' (imagine the JLA, but violent, political, sexy and written for a Vertigo audience). The Hitch. Mark Millar and Grant Morisson runs on 'The Authority' are superb.

This. Pretty much what I came into the tread to say. I loved the Stormwatch stuff.

[Happy-Hangman]

The last issue of the new 'Stormwatch' involved certain characters being 'regressed', resulting in the annoying super-kid and avatar of the 21st Century, Jenny Quantum, taking on certain characteristics of the glorious Jenny Sparks, her former-century predecessor. Probably just a way of trying to make a dull character more interesting - but it annoyed me, as new readers won't get the gag, and old 'Stormwatch'/'Authority' fans will just be ticked-off that this incarnation of the title is so...vanilla.

[labibs]

Originally Posted by Fricky

Planetary by Warren Ellis and John Cassaday. It's about a team of superpowered "archaeologists" who are digging up the hidden truths of the 20th Century, which sees them uncovering all these histories about characters who are obvious facsimilies of established comic book characters or other fictional people and genres. I don't want to spoil it too much, but they're up against a parody of the Fantastic Four, who in the Wildstorm Universe aren't altruistic about their research and discoveries, but instead keep them for themselves for their own benefit and power. It fits into the Wildstorm Universe but doesn't reference it a whole lot, so it stands on its own pretty well.

There's 4 volumes for the main series, and a seperate collection for a couple of standalone one shots.

This. Planetary starts slowly, but is (at least I think so) really well put together for the shortish run (less than 30 issues?)

I also really enjoyed The Authority. Went off the boil a bit by the end, but some good stuff there early on. I agree the stormwatch in the new 52 is poor, just seems to have no real direction to it (and I hate Midnighter's new costume).

Global frequency I thought was decent as well.